CLACKAMAS, OR – A man has been convicted of second-degree murder for fatally stabbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier during a violent struggle at their shared apartment complex just outside Portland.
Chad Michael Westover, 53, was found guilty last week for the killing of 43-year-old Tristan Salvatore Thomas. The verdict was delivered in Clackamas County Circuit Court and also included a conviction for unlawful use of a weapon, prosecutors said. Sentencing is scheduled for November 17.
The deadly encounter unfolded on the evening of September 21 at the Twin Creek Apartment complex on SE Sunnyside Road. Authorities say the conflict that led to Thomas’ death began earlier that day with a dispute over a parked motorcycle, triggering a series of escalating confrontations between neighbors.
Thomas, a well-known mail carrier in the area, initially argued with another resident, Christopher Stewart, about Stewart’s motorcycle placement in the apartment lot. Shortly afterward, Stewart allegedly assaulted Thomas, sending him to the hospital for treatment. Deputies at the time did not find enough cause to make an arrest.
Later that day, after Thomas returned from the hospital, tension escalated again. Stewart, along with Westover and a woman identified as Samantha S. Christensen, left a social gathering in the complex after Stewart received reports his teenage daughter was being followed by a suspicious man, later confirmed to be Thomas. According to court documents, Thomas was allegedly armed with a butcher knife at this point.
Much of the subsequent altercation was recorded on cell phones by neighbors and referenced in a lengthy arrest affidavit. As the dispute intensified, Thomas placed a call to 911, stating he felt threatened by a group of people outside his apartment. In video evidence, Westover is seen instructing others to stop filming so he could intervene.
Witnesses and court filings describe a disturbing scene in which Westover, wielding a kitchen knife, repeatedly stabbed Thomas as neighbors and Thomas’ mother shouted for him to stop. Authorities reported Thomas was stabbed multiple times, including a critical wound to his left vertebral artery. Westover also suffered injuries during the confrontation.
After the attack, Westover fled the scene alongside Christensen without calling for help, investigators said. Christensen reportedly left with Thomas’ phone and, when contacted by emergency dispatch, assured them all was well before ending the call. Westover was taken into custody several days later.
Defense attorneys argued that Thomas was the instigator and was intoxicated at the time, but prosecutors refuted these claims, emphasizing the excessive force used and the lack of defensive wounds on Westover.
Thomas succumbed to his injuries in the hospital nearly two weeks after the stabbing. His family and friends have memorialized him as a dedicated public servant who delivered mail to the community where he grew up, describing him as energetic and beloved by many.
Christensen was later charged with first-degree assault, tampering with evidence, hindering prosecution, and interfering with making a report. Authorities continue to review the circumstances surrounding the assault.
Community members have created a fundraising page to support Thomas’ family with funeral expenses as they mourn the loss of a man widely considered a pillar in the neighborhood.